What It Takes To Be A Disney princess

To be a princess is every little girl’s dream. When we were little we dreamed of wearing the ballgowns and the tiaras, and dancing at the ball with your Prince Charming. It’s definitely an easy lifestyle, but being a princess is not so easy. Disneyland, the happiest place on earth, is a place where you can become a Disney Princess. This sounds like a dream job to me, and probably many others, so I decided to do some research and see what exactly it takes to be a Disney Princess. Here is what I found:

Height Requirement: For most of the princesses there is a height requirement between 5’4 and 5’7. This is to preserve the integrity of the princess and keep the real-life versions close to scale.

Sizing: The largest size Disney carries for their princess costumes is size 10. This is also a way of saying true to the original smaller-waisted drawings.

Auditioning: To be a character at the parks, you must go through the audition process. At the auditions you will learn a simple dance routine, and if they like your dancing, you will get a chance to read a script, do some improv and an interview. It can be a very long process, but Disney casting directors work hard to find the best girls to fit the roles.

Age: Disney is very specific on the age. You have to be at least 18 years old to audition. Most characters are 18-23 in the movies, so they also keep this to scale. It is rare to find a princess over 27 at the parks.

Make-Up: If you are cast as a princess, you are supplied with make-up and are taught how to apply it. This is so all the Snow Whites look the same, all the Belles, all the Auroras, etc.

Training: Disney trains their princesses for five days and it is usually just an in-depth viewing of the film. You will learn your character’s mannerisms and voice inflection, even the standard signature every princess has! Each signature is different and full of curves and circles designed to fit the characteristics of each character.

Strict Rules: While working for the Disney parks, you are not allowed to discuss what character you are being. You are also not permitted to post about your job on social media. Disney is VERY strict about that. Princesses also cannot reference anything outside the Disney realm. Belle cannot say she is friends with Spongebob, for example.

Weather: A couple of the princesses usually are stationed inside at the Magic Kingdom but the other princesses are outside. You have to be able to handle the extreme heat in the Orlando summer as well as the cold winter weather around Christmas Time, since your costume never changes.

Improv skills: You need to know everything about your character and be ready to answer any questions thrown your way. If a child asks Rapunzel where Pascal is, she needs to have an answer ready to go. This helps so that you aren’t standing there awkwardly.

Smiling: Be ready to smile 24/7. You have to keep that smile because they want the princesses at the park to never be sad or upset. Having a constant smile is required by the Disney studios. Many former disney workers say that their cheeks begin to hurt from the constant smiling.

So I see that It’s not easy being a princess, but in the end, it bringing joy to thousands of Disney guests every day.